SHIMLA: The bodies of a couple, believed to be of Russian origin, were discovered at a small pond near the holy town of Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district, as reported by the police on Friday.
Discovered on Thursday, the bodies exhibited certain injury marks, prompting the authorities to consider the incident a possible case of suicide, though they haven't ruled out the potential for murder.
The victims, a man and a woman in their twenties, remained unidentified at the time of discovery. However, based on belongings found nearby, authorities suspect that the couple may be of Russian nationality.
The woman's naked body was found inside a hot spring pool (kund), while the man's body lay outside the pool, both situated in Tagri along the Parvati river, approximately two kilometers from Manikaran.
According to ASP Sanjeev Chauhan, the man had cut marks on his hand and neck, and the woman displayed injury marks on her hand. Although these injuries were not fatal, the exact cause of death is yet to be determined. Among the items recovered from the scene were a blade, a mobile phone, and drugs (charas).
While the initial assessment leans towards suicide, authorities await clarification from the postmortem report. The bodies have been sent for postmortem to a regional hospital in Kullu, subsequently referred to the medical college in Mandi. Due to facial swelling, the deceased remain unidentified.
In response to the incident, a forensic team has been dispatched to the location. Police are also investigating local hotels, homestays, and accommodations to gather additional information about the deceased couple.
(With agency inputs)
